


Matter of Value, A

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s05e08 Shutdown, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-15
Updated: 2004-01-15
Packaged: 2019-05-15 13:24:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14791317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: J/D  post-epShutdown





	Matter of Value, A

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**A Matter of Value**

**by:** Annmarie  


**Category/Pairing:** J/D  post-ep " _Shutdown_ "  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Spoilers:** Through " _Shutdown_ "  
**Disclaimer:** They are not now nor have they ever been mine.  
**Notes:** My love for Janel Moloney and Donna Moss knows no bounds (and I'm a straight woman) and Disaster Relief just cemented that love.  
**Feedback:** Is always appreciated.  
**Author's Note:** This story exists in the same universe as my Disaster Relief post-ep "A Matter of Time", so it is AU. If you didn't read "A Matter of Time" just know J &D admitted their feelings, kissed a little, nothing more... Spoilers for this episode indicated a scene between Donna, Charlie & Haffley's staff, it appears to have been cut, I'm writing it in for fun! 

"College tuition?" Donna asked hesitantly. 

"As a tax cut," Josh conceded. 

"Republicans love that phrase," Donna smirked. 

"Dinner?" Josh asked as he reached over her to check his email. 

"We've been making a habit of dinner," Donna smiled. 

"Not for the past four days." 

"You've been otherwise occupied." 

"And now I am free of all concern," Josh typed a quick response with one hand while balancing against his desk with the other. 

"All concern?" Donna scoffed. 

"Well most concerns, certainly the most recently pressing concerns, but you know what?" 

"What?" 

"For the next 10 hours or so I want to be concerned only with you." 

"Ten hours huh? You're pretty sure of yourself." 

"I didn't mean, um, I wasn't insinuating anything." 

"Feed me first and we'll go from there budget boy," Donna stood and turned off the desk lamp. 

********** 

"So I ran into Charlie on my way out of the Oval," Josh commented over coffee. 

"Already back at his desk?" Donna grinned. 

"Oh yeah. And he told me to tell you he'll always have your back. Why did Charlie have your back in the first place?" 

"Jealous?" Donna teased. 

"No. Concerned," Josh looked very serious. 

"Don't be, it was nothing. Charlie and I had to defend our bosses' honor to a couple of Haffley's henchmen at the shutdown party, that's all." 

"In between saving Social Security and helping control the elk population you found time to have a rumble with the opposition." 

"It wasn't a rumble Joshua. It was a petty assault on the good name of the President of the United States and his most staunchly loyal employee and Charlie and I were not going to take it lying down," Donna was getting flustered. 

"You just can't let a wrong go unrighted," Josh smiled. 

"Unrighted? 760 verbal, seriously?" Donna squinted. 

"You done with that coffee?" Josh indicated her empty cup. 

"Trying to get rid of me?" 

"Trying to get you alone," Josh slid his credit card into the black leather folder containing their check. 

************* 

"I'm still not sure Leo and I are OK," Josh lamented as they climbed the steps to his apartment building. 

There was no discussion about where they were going as they left the restaurant, they both knew. 

"Leo loves you Josh, sometimes he has to push that to the back of his brain, but he'll come around. He has so much shit coming down on him right now." 

"I know. I know." 

"But you still hate that he is upset with you, because you like to be the guy that the guy counts on and right now," Donna just shrugged. 

"I'm just afraid that when it comes right down to it I'm not the guy any more," Josh sighed as he sat on the couch and tugged her down next to him. 

"The President still considers you that guy, Leo will come around. I thought you were concern-free for the evening," Donna pouted. 

"I am, I'm sorry," he leaned over the short distance to capture her lips. 

Donna stretched back against the arm of the couch and tugged him down on top of her. Their kisses were inquisitive and thorough simultaneously. Donna wiggled her body underneath him, trying to touch him at every possible point. 

"Oh God Donna," he murmured against her lips as most coherent thought left his body. 

"Mmmm Josh," Donna nodded, her eyes still closed. 

Standing on fairly shaky legs Josh managed to scoop Donna into his arms and turn them both toward the bedroom, one of Donna's black high heels dangled from her foot before it clattered to the ground. 

********** 

"So what exactly did you say to Haffley's guys to defend my honor?" Josh asked later, naked and sleepy, his arms wrapped securely around Donna. 

"I just mentioned that they may want to open their conservative closed little minds...," Donna was interrupted by the buzzer of Josh's intercom. 

"Who the hell?" Josh glanced over the top of Donna's head to see that is was nearly 1:30 AM. 

He slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms. 

"I'll be right back," he smiled at the beautiful blonde woman stretched out in his bed. 

Josh jogged to the intercom and asked who it was. 

"It's me," Leo replied. 

Josh buzzed him in because really how could he not. 

"Sorry it's so late," Leo started. 

"That's okay," Josh shrugged and let his boss into the apartment. 

"You asleep?" Leo took in his deputy's appearance. 

"Not yet," Josh answered honestly as both men's gaze fell on the slim black high heeled shoe in the middle of the living room floor. 

"I should go," Leo hooked a thumb toward the door, "I should have called." 

"It's OK Leo, have a seat." 

"I wanted to explain. I wanted to apologize." 

"You don't need to apologize Leo. I screwed up, I'm serving my sentence." 

"An unduly harsh sentence Josh. I was intentionally cruel, I wanted to hurt someone and you gave me an opportunity to do it." 

"You've been through a lot." 

"Donna point that out to you," Leo smirked, his eyes falling on the shoe again. 

"I'm not immune to it Leo. I saw how hard you took Zoey's kidnapping. I saw you grapple with your own feelings of guilt. I'm sure the First Lady didn't let you off the hook any easier than her own husband." 

"I'm pretty sure I'm still on that hook," Leo shook his head and stood to pace the room. 

"And I'll stay on the hook with you, but you have to let me do my job. Yell at me, give me the crap work, but when push comes to shove, I need to be in the room," Josh stood to face him. 

"I know that. The President knows that. The Leadership is very pleased with the budget, I've spent most of the night getting happy phone calls. The President is giving you all of the credit." 

"I agreed with him, he likes that," Josh grinned. 

"Staff is at 8:00, go to bed," Leo patted him on the back as he saw himself out. 

************ 

Josh picked up Donna's shoe and wandered back to the bedroom. 

"Lose something Cinderella?" he dangled the shoe from his finger. 

Donna's eyes went wide. 

"Did he see that?" she crawled across the bed reaching for the shoe and revealing a lot of naked Donna to his hungry gaze. 

"Yeah and I'm still invited to Senior Staff," he dropped the shoe on the floor and joined her at the end of the bed. 

"Feel better?" she asked as she brushed his hair back and kissed his forehead. 

"I do," he dipped his head to kiss her. 

"I should go," Donna pulled away. 

"You really shouldn't," Josh tried to ply her with kisses. 

"What if somebody saw me leaving in the morning?" Donna was being swayed. 

Josh laughed and laughed hard. 

"What?" Donna tried to look indignant. 

"The White House Chief of Staff already knows you were hanging around, shoeless, in my bedroom, and while he hasn't been very nice lately, Leo McGarry is a smart man," Josh had maneuvered them back to the head of the bed and was removing the one piece of clothing between them. 

********** 

"Josh hang back a second," Leo asked as the Senior Staff filed out of the Oval Office. 

Josh followed him into the adjoining office and took a seat on Leo's couch. 

"Before I tell you this I want you to know it has nothing to do with what I may have uncovered last night at your place," Leo took off his glasses and noticed Josh's spine stiffen. 

"Leo we were going to tell you when the time was right," Josh began in protest. 

"Josh, it's fine. What I was about to tell you is I want to offer Donna a promotion. She's impressed a lot of people, particularly in the past few months. When others were falling apart Donna held it together and got things done." 

"She's really good at that," Josh mentioned with pride. 

"It's time others knew her value." 

"When you offer her the job, be sure to mention that. Mention that she's valuable, you'll be glad you did." 

The End 

**Sequel: "A Matter of Memories"**


End file.
